With the relatively recent advent of voice extensive markup language (VXML) the expertise required to develop a speech application solution has been reduced somewhat. VXML is a language that enables a software developer to focus on the application logic of the voice application without being required to configuring underlying telephony components. Typically, the developed voice application is run on a VXML interpreter that resides on and executes on the associated telephony system to deliver the solution.
A typical architecture of a VXML-compliant telephony system comprises a voice application server and a VXML-compliant telephony server. To develop and deploy a typical VXML voice application, an application database is created or an existing one is modified to support VXML. Application logic is provided and is designed in terms of workflow and is adapted to handle the routing operations of the delivery system. A VXML rendering engine is provided and adapted to render VXML pages, which are results of functioning application logic. These pages, which are used as input for voice synthesis, are rendered according to a specific generation sequence or call flow.
A VXML-enabled voice portal, which may be a telephony server, is adapted to enable retrieval of VXML pages from the VXML rendering engine. A VXML interpreter, a voice recognition text-to-speech engine, and the telephony hardware/software are combined to provide voice interface function. In prior art, the telephony hardware/software along with the VXML interpreter are packaged as an off-the-shelf IVR-enabling technology. Arguably the most important feature, however, of a VXML system is the voice application server. Voice application logic is typically written in a programming language such as Java and packaged as an enterprise Java Bean archive. The application presentation logic required is handled by the VXML rendering engine 111 and is typically written in JSP or PERL.
The inventor is aware of a VXML-enabled voice application development and deployment system referenced herein in the cross-reference section that is adapted for economic development and deployment of voice applications. The system uses a voice application server for creating and serving voice applications to clients over a communication network. The applications are executed from a voice portal node having access to a communication network. The voice application server is capable of inferring one or more client needs based on client data including input data.
The voice application server includes an inference engine executable from the application server. The inference engine is called during one or more predetermined points of an ongoing voice interaction with a voice application and determines whether an inference of client need can be made based on analysis of existing data related to the interaction during a predetermined point in an active call flow of the served voice application. If an inference is warranted, the engine pre-orders an inference dialog and directs the voice application to serve the dialog in the call flow instead of the normally served dialog.
The inventor also knows of a VXML server, disclosed by reference in co-pending application, that can take client behavior attributes into consideration and use those attributes to select appropriate dialogs from a pool of dialogs that will better serve the customer according to the perceived behavioral state of the caller detected through interaction. In some cases the system is adapted for maintaining and consulting interaction history attributes and results experienced with that customer to determine if an inference is warranted.
VXML response flexibility has also been extended to the realm of advertising in certain systems known to the inventor, one of which is listed in the cross-reference section of this specification. For example, a system is known to the inventor that is capable of selecting an advertisement from a pool of advertisements and for causing the selected advertisement to be utilized by a voice application for presentation to a caller during an automated voice interactive session. The system monitors the voice interaction between a caller and the voice application and selects an appropriate ad, serving at least identification and location of the ad to be retrieved and presented to the caller via the voice application. In preferred application, the server accepts and analyses data about the caller comparing the results against at least one rule. The resulting value provides reference to the advertisement selected. In this system the ads may be third-party ads that may be inserted into the running voice application flow and thus heard by the caller.
Further to the above, a system referenced herein in the cross-reference section, is also known to the inventor that is capable of leveraging an existing Web service to provide access to back-end data information or information system data, normally provided to Web users, to telephone callers. This system includes a first network service node for hosting the Web service, an information database accessible from the service node, a voice terminal connected to the first service node, and a service adaptor for integrating a voice application executable from the voice terminal to the Web service. In a preferred aspect, the service adaptor subscribes to data published by the Web service and creates code and functional modules based on that data and uses the created components to facilitate creation of a voice application or to update an existing voice application to provide access to and leverage of the Web service to telephone callers.
The above-described systems can be combined into one system that is enhanced with all of the above-mentioned capabilities. The prevailing goal in development of such enhancements and capabilities known to the inventor is to streamline development and deployment operations and to enable more efficient and accurate service to clients of enterprises leveraging the voice solutions.
The inventor is further aware of a multi-tenant voice extensible markup language (VXML) voice system referenced in the cross-reference section of this specification, which includes a voice portal connected to at least one telephony network; a voice application server integrated with the voice portal; and a multi-tenant configuration application integrated with the voice application server, the configuration application accessible to the tenants from a data packet network. In this multi-tenant system, administrators of enterprises may log in to the configuration wizard and create new or modify voice application functionality specific to those represented enterprises. The enterprise-specific functionality is applied to existing common voice application architecture available to all of the subscribing enterprises. In this system, a centralized voice portal detects callers attempting to reach various subscribed enterprises and executes the appropriate enterprise-specific voice applications based on caller ID and association to the enterprise called. In this way, many disparate enterprises are served in an efficient and secure manner wherein those served enterprises have flexible control over their own application function and treatment of their customers.
It has occurred to the inventors that many enterprises that configure and leverage their own VXML voice applications through a multi-tenant system may also desire that their customers receive targeted advertising through interaction with their enterprise-specific voice applications. Likewise, many advertisers or ad-service companies desire new vehicles for placing advertisements in a fashion that may reach target customers, therefore retaining a higher conversion rate.
What is clearly needed is a multi-tenant advertisement delivery system and network configured to a multi-tenant VXML voice system. A system and network such as this would enable a new competitive advertising vehicle controlled by both advertisers and advertisement publishers.